Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo Never Did What Newcastle Star Just Accomplished
Newcastle United traveled to Azerbaijan on Wednesday to face Qarabag in the first leg of the Champions League playoff for a spot in the round of 16, and effectively sealed the tie in the first half.
At the end of the first 45 minutes, the scoreboard read 0-5 in favor of the English side, with special prominence for Anthony Gordon, who achieved something that not even Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo could.
The English attacker scored no fewer than four goals in that first half of Qarabag-Newcastle. He achieved what neither Messi, 38, nor Ronaldo, 41, ever managed. In fact, to date, only one player has scored four goals in the first half of a Champions League match.
The first to do so was Luiz Adriano, a Brazilian striker who, in the 2014-15 season, scored four goals in the group stage for Shakhtar Donetsk against BATE Borisov. A match, by the way, that reached halftime 0-6 and ended 0-7.
Gordon, 24, trained between Liverpool and Everton and arrived at Newcastle in January 2023 for 45 million euros. Since then, he has only grown at the ‘Magpies’, although he has not quite established himself as an undisputed star of a team where the collective prevails over the individual. Nevertheless, he will hardly forget the match he played on Wednesday against Qarabag.
What Is Next for Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi?
Ronaldo’s next match will take place on Saturday, Feb. 21, when Al-Nassr hosts Al-Hazem in Matchday 22 of the Saudi Pro League.
The Portuguese did not play against Arkadag in the second leg of the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League Two on Wednesday, so he is expected to return to minutes on the weekend.
MLS also returns this weekend, and Inter Miami will face LAFC on Feb. 21 in the season opener. Messi is not expected to have minutes, as he suffered a minor injury in his most recent preseason match.
